How should a blazer fit?

"If you get one proportion right, it’s likely all the pieces of the puzzle will fall into place."

When discussing the primary characteristics of a well-fitted suit, we’ve touched on some key details concerning blazer fit. However, there are several guidelines to keep in mind when assessing the tailoring of your blazer. Though there are quite a few rules, the good news is each piece is related. If you get one proportion right, it’s likely all the pieces of the puzzle have fallen into place. Still, it’s important to know the basics of all blazer fit requirements.

Shoulders Your shoulders are the one spot where it’s easiest to assess fit. The seam and padding of your shoulder should end where your shoulder naturally stops. This means the seam should be perfectly in line with your shoulder bone. You’ll know the fit is correct if your shoulder lays flat. When your shoulder is cut too tight or too loose, you’ll notice a lot of bunched fabric and wrinkles.

Sleeves Your blazer’s sleeves should stop where your wrist attaches to the base of your thumb. When you wear your blazer with a woven dress shirt, roughly 2.5 centimetres of your shirt cuff should show. If no shirt cuff is visible or too much shirt cuff is showing, you need an adjustment.

Torso With all blazers, you’ll only button the top one or two buttons. To check for fit around your torso, make sure the appropriate buttons are fastened. Concerning length, the blazer should be proportional to your crotch line covering to the lower half of your seat. When your arms are hanging at your side, you should be able to comfortably cup your hands under the jacket hem. Also, when your blazer is buttoned, it should rest on your torso. It should accentuate your physique without any pulling around the buttons. A great way to test the torso fit is to hug yourself. When you do this, you should be able to comfortably wrap your arms around without any tugging or restriction. If your movement feels restricted, you need to either size up or work with your tailor to add some room.

Collar When your blazer is paired with your shirt, there shouldn’t be a visible gap between the shirt collar and blazer collar. If there’s any room between the two, this is an indication that your blazer is cut too big.

As mentioned earlier, if one of these details is perfect, it’s likely most of the others are, too. However, it’s important to be aware of expectations so you can be absolutely sure you’ve got a winning blazer.